Alabama state accused of 'grave robbery' after jail returns inmate's body with his heart missing

Families of two prisoners who died in separate jailsin Alabama, USA have taken the state to court after it was found that internal organs were missing from their bodies when they were returned to their loved ones. The federal lawsuit filed by family of late Brandon Clay Dotson has accused that his body was decomposing and his heart was missing when the remains were handed over by the prisonauthorities. A court filing in the case also mentions that daughter of Charles Edward Singleton, another prisoner who died in jail, found that all of her father's internal organs were missing.

The Associated Press qouted Lauren Faraino, Dotson family lawyer as saying that as multiple families have had this experience, this is “absolutely part of a pattern.”

On November 16, Dotson was found dead at Ventress Correctional Facility. When his boy was handed over to the family, they suspected foul play and hired a pathologist who carried out a second autopsy. It was then found that the heart was missing from the dead body, says the lawsuit. The family is asking the state the reason behind this and is demanding that the heart be returned.

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A 'grave robbery'

“Defendants’ outrageous and inexcusable mishandling of the deceased’s body amounts to a reprehensible violation of human dignity and common decency,” says the lawsuit, as per AP.

“...their appalling misconduct is nothing short of grave robbery and mutilation.” it adds.

Faraino said thaton making inquiries, the family foundthere had been several such cases.

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In a court filing last week, the Dotsons mentioned the case of Charles Edward Singleton. The filing reportedly says that Singleton's family found that all of his internal organs were missing from his dead body. The filing mentions writing from Charlene Drake, Singleton's daughter which corroborates what Dotson family has said.

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Drake quoted the funeral director who told her that “normally the organs are in a bag placed back in the body after an autopsy, but Charles had been brought to the funeral home with no internal organs.”

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The Dotsons now contend that Brandon Clay Dotson's heart may have been inside his body during state autopsy. They say that it may have been given to the medical school at University of Alabama at Birmingham

AP reports that the university had termed this claim "bald speculation". The university has also made a court filing declaring that it did not perform the autopsy and did not receive Dotson's organs.

(With inputs from agencies)